This investigation analyzed the contents from death certificates filled in by a university hospital. The study aimed to evaluate in medical records the death certificates of the years 2009 and 2011, in the database, and the difficulties of the medical clinical staff to fill them in. A documental research was done as well as interviews with the doctors. In the 528 death certificates analyzed, it was found that 265 (50.18%) were incomplete. From the 34 clinical physicians who answered the questionnaire, 34.14% reported that deaths without medical assistance constitute the major difficulty in filling the document; 26.47% mentioned that they believe their learning during the undergraduate course was not good, and only half of them knew the guideline to fill in the certificate. In conclusion, it is inferred the need to improve the teaching during de undergraduate course and encourage the updating of doctors when it comes to this important aspect.
Death certificates; Epidemiology; Cause of death; Indicators of morbidity and mortality